Sonnets of Sakura
by Lady Kogawolf
Summary: She loved who she loved, and nothing was going to stop her. Haruno Sakura was about to embark on a journey that would make her heart sing. I don't own Naruto and I never will.
1. A Bag of Cookies

A/N: This is a new one-shot series that I've decided to do. I am going to warn everyone, pay attention, that there are adult themes in here. Not every shot will be dedicated to adult situations, but pretty damn close. Oh, and there is cursing. Can't have a fic without cursing, now can we? Hell no!!

So, without further ado, and no I am not leaving the multichapter fics behind, I give the Sonnets of Sakura. Please read, enjoy, and review.

* * *

It had been Ino's idea. Of course, the other kunoichi had been in total agreement with her, so she had also gone along with it. After all, the boys were constantly looking out for their female counterparts and this was a way to repay them and say thank you.

So that was how she found herself with a few bags of cookies, walking along the sidewalk. She gave Naruto his bag first, and it had taken her a good five minutes to wrestle out of his enthusiastic embrace. Now, as she walked towards the Uchiha district, she felt her throat tighten.

Would he appreciate her efforts? It was no secret that Sasuke thought that she was weak. However, that never stopped her from doing her best to make him feel welcome within their group of friends. But each time she would invite him to go someplace, he would shake his head and walk away.

Now that she was at his doorstep, she glanced down at the bag of cookies and frowned. This really was a stupid idea. But she was already here, and it never hurt to offer.

Knocking on the door, she waited patiently. When it opened, she was faced with an annoyed Sasuke.

"What do you want?" he asked, his tone curt. His eyes moved over her, and he scowled when she wasn't quick to answer.

Sakura was taken back by his rude welcome, and it was her inner personality that informed her that Sasuke was shirtless. She took in a deep breath and gave him a smile.

"Hi Sasuke," she said, noticing that he lifted an eyebrow at the lack of his suffix. She held up the bag of cookies and said, "The other kunoichi and I decided to make the guys of our teams cookies to thank them for all that they do for us."

Sasuke stared at her for a moment, but then shook his head. "I don't eat sweets," he replied. "I'm sure that you know your way out of the district."

Sakura was quiet but nodded. She was about to turn away, but a feminine voice stopped her. "Who's at the door, Sasuke-baby?"

Turning, Sakura watched a girl appear at Sasuke's side and look over at her. The blue eyes narrowed at first, but then she smiled.

"Is she one of your friends, Sasuke?" the girl asked, scorn dripping from her words.

Sakura stiffened when Sasuke replied, "She's not a friend. She is a team mate."

The girl smiled and then nodded. "Well, I'll be waiting. Don't be too long."

Sasuke nodded and then glanced over at Sakura. "You can give those cookies to someone who wants them. I don't mind."

He closed the door as she walked away, her body cold. While she had long ago given up on her feelings for the young man, it hurt her to know that he didn't even see her as a friend. To her, that was the worst injury that he could have ever dealt her.

The walk out of the Uchiha district was silent, and she soon found herself at the park. She took in a deep breath, noticing that the sun was setting. And if she thought that she would have the park all to herself, she was mistaken.

He was watching her, his face holding neither warmth nor aggression. Over the years, they had come to a comfortable co-existence, so she knew that he would not turn her away if she were to walk over and sit down beside him.

They sat in silence for over an hour before he quietly asked her why she was there. Still hurting from the words of her team mate, she simply replied, "Cookies."

He walked her home, and when they arrived at her door, she turned and gave him a smile. "I was kind of hoping that I'd run into you, so I made some for you as well," she said, holding out the third bag of cookies. "I don't know if you like sweets, but they are yours. You can do what you want with them."

He took the bag from her with a lifted brow, but then looked at the bag. Nodding, he bid her goodnight. As he walked away, Sakura watched him open the bag and take out a cookie, bite into it, and then nod.

She smiled and went inside. Perhaps the idea wasn't all that bad.

* * *

Months passed by, and each time she saw him, he acknowledged her with a nod of his head. He never ignored her, and a small part of her wondered if he was aware of just how much his opinion meant to her. He didn't see her as weak, nor did he scoff at her when she asked him if he had time to spar with her.

His quiet acceptance of her made up for the lack of acceptance from Sasuke. In time, Sakura was surprised to find that she was no longer thinking in terms of how to please Sasuke. In fact, after a lot of soul searching and looking back on her past actions, she cringed at just how desperate she had been for his approval.

Friends didn't make each other feel inadequate. Friends didn't look down on each other and sneer that they were weak and annoying. Friends didn't reject kind gestures just because they were complete and total assholes.

So that was how she came to the conclusion that Uchiha Sasuke was a fool. There was nothing wrong with her. In fact, he should be honored just to have someone who looked out for him the way she did. But he never appreciated it, so she was just going to stop trying.

From the moment of her decision, Sakura made it a point not to go out of her way to speak to Sasuke. In fact, she and Kakashi had started to spar. Within a few weeks, he had resorted to using his sharingan on her, which told her that he was now taking her seriously.

Her increased skill in sparring did not go unnoticed. Naruto and Sasuke often stopped their own sparring to watch, and Naruto had taken to yelling out comments and praises to her. Of course, Sasuke never said a word. But then again, she didn't need him to.

She didn't need him.

Because he and Sakura had grown closer over the past few months, he wanted to check up on her, and to make sure that she knew he was backm and so, that was how he found himself sitting underneath a tree, waiting for her to appear.

When she arrived, she ran over to him, leaving her two teammates behind as she sat down beside him. She chattered away about whatever was on her mind; he indulged her by listening as she spoke. He could feel the eyes of her teammates and allowed his gaze to drift over, seeing Naruto and Sasuke watching their interaction.

He gave a curt nod to both men before turning his attention back to the pink-haired woman beside him. It was only when Kakashi appeared that she left his side. He settled back and watched as she threw herself into her training.

Sakura invited him to go out with her, and he didn't hesitate to say yes. Of course, that would mean stepping outside his comfort zone. But if it made her happy and allowed him to see her smile, he would do it, and pray for the night to come to a swift end.

The noise was unbearable. The loud laughter, the smell of booze, and all of the scantily-clad women were giving him a headache. With her by his side, though, he managed to maintain his composure, and felt her hand squeeze his in a small gesture of thanks for putting up with her friends.

The door to the bar opened and he watched her teammates enter, arguing with each other. But Naruto quickly calmed down when he saw the Hyuuga heiress. Without hesitation, he sat down beside her and pulled her into a warm hug.

The Uchiha sat down across from Sakura, who was speaking with her friend Ino. Both women were laughing, oblivious to the Uchiha's eyes upon Sakura's form. But before the man could say anything, Naruto reached over and waved over at Sakura to gain her attention.

"So, are the two of you going to the party?" he asked, his eyes sliding over to Sakura's companion. "It's going to be fun."

Sakura smiled over at her blonde friend and then looked at her companion. "I'd like to go," she replied, and then smiled when she felt him squeeze her hand. "We'll see."

The blonde nodded, grinning at the two of them before turning back to his girl. Sakura's companion looked up to find her still smiling at him. Without thinking, he lifted his hand and gently brushed some loose hairs away from her eyes.

He knew that the Uchiha had been watching the entire time, but he didn't care.

When it was time to go, Sakura allowed him to pull her up and then smiled at her friends. "Goodnight," she said, her tone merry.

Naruto gave her a smirk, and when they were walking away, the blonde yelled, "Tomorrow it's your turn to cook breakfast, Sakura-chan. The question is, will it be for two or three?" As he spoke the words, blue eyes slid over to him and his grip on Sakura's hand tightened.

Sakura just laughed, telling him to behave himself. Then, she pulled her companion out of the bar and into the quiet of the night.

He watched as she pulled out her key and slid it into the lock. When she turned, she gave him a smile. "Thank you for putting up with them," she said, and then laughed. "Naruto can be a handful."

Shaking his head, he calmly said, "They are important to you, so I will tolerate them."

That night, Gaara of the desert received his first kiss.

* * *

He returned to Konoha three months later. As the kazekage, he needed to be sure that he and the hokage maintained a strong alliance, especially in front of the other kages. He was also anxious to see Sakura, and to make sure that she was all right.

It was clear to him that he had been missed. Her sweet kiss told him that much. While in Suna, he had wondered if she was thinking about him, and if she missed him as much as he missed her. He also wondered if her feelings for him were as intense as his were. If so, would she act upon them?

But the first night back in Konoha soothed all of his fears. When they stepped into her apartment, their breath intermingling and their hands pulling at each other, he knew that he would not be leaving her home before dawn.

He heard her moan as his hands smoothed down her sweat-slickened hips to grasp her thighs, and he gritted his teeth as another strong wave of desire threatened to consume him. Together, they moved as one. When she cried out his name, he felt his control snap, and he allowed himself to fall with her into the pleasurable abyss.

Later, his eyes opened and he looked around. It was well after midnight, but he heard a soft knock upon her door. He slid his lover away from him, covering her with the sheet before pulling on his pants. Moving to the door, his eyes narrowed as he recognized the chakra coming from the other side.

Opening the door, he found himself face-to-face with Uchiha Sasuke. Neither male looked happy to see the other. For several minutes, Sasuke's eyes took in his appearance, narrowing at the fading scratch marks upon his chest.

Finally, dark eyes met teal and the silence was broken.

"Walk away."

Sasuke's eyes widened, but then narrowed. "We both know what you are," he snapped, his mouth twisting into a sneer. "You should be the one to walk away."

"What I am is a man who loves his woman," he said, his tone bored. "I would never allow those precious to me to feel even a moment of doubt as to their worth. Your words are wasted upon me, Uchiha."

"You may be the kazekage, but you are still a monster," Sasuke spat, his disgust apparent. "You have no business being with her. She doesn't deserve to be with a monster. Neither of us is good enough for her."

He regarded the man quietly. Finally, he said, "Wrong. I am good enough for her. I am no longer the man I was before she came into my life. I am a better person. Had you allowed her to enter yours, I have no doubt that you also would have changed. You made the mistake of shoving her out of your life. Now, she no longer needs you in hers."

Sasuke glared at the man, but then looked over his shoulder towards the bedroom. When his eyes moved back to Gaara, the last Uchiha calmly said, "If you hurt her, you will die."

"I can do no worse than what you have done," Gaara replied. With that, he stepped back into the apartment and closed the door. He turned and walked back to the bedroom, and then watched Sakura's chest quietly rise and fall.

A small smile formed on his normally stoic lips. For the first time, Gaara felt like he was home. It was something that he was not willing to give up.

* * *

Sasuke stared at the door, allowing the man's words to echo in his mind. Yes, he knew that he had been nothing short of a bastard to Sakura, but he had not wanted her to be close to him. Men like him didn't deserve the kind of love and devotion that Sakura offered. He lived in the shadows; if he had taken Sakura as his own, she would have had to live in those same shadows.

In the darkness, she would have died. Her spirit would have faded, and the light that lived in her eyes would have vanished. No, he would not allow that to happen. Not to her.

He loved her so much that he was more than willing to walk away. But he couldn't help wondering if Gaara's words were true. If it was possible for a former demon-containing madman to be a better person, would he one day find the courage to change as well?

* * *

Sakura's eyes fluttered and then slowly opened. She was warm, feeling the strong arms around her tighten. Looking up, she found Gaara staring down at her, and he seemed content.

"Hi there," she said, and then yawned delicately. "I thought that you had a meeting to go to."

Gaara was quiet for a moment, but then gave a short nod. "I was waiting for you to awaken. You are to attend the meeting with me," he replied, watching as the pink-haired girl's eyes widened.

It didn't take them long to get dressed and walk to the hokage tower. Once inside, Tsunade got right to business.

"I know that you want your medics trained in the same skills that Konoha medics are trained," she said. "Training them will take some time, and I am not certain who I would send over to train them. However, I will accommodate you as best as I can."

Gaara nodded and glanced over at Sakura. "I have a request," he said. When the hokage nodded, he said, "I wish for Haruno Sakura to be transferred to Suna in order to train the medics. After all, I am kazekage. For me to continue to journey over here every other month to see Sakura takes a toll, not only on me, but on Sakura and Suna, as well."

Tsunade's jaw joined Sakura's on the floor. At first, neither women spoke. Finally, Tsunade leaned back in her chair and narrowed her eyes. "Sakura is the best medic here in Konoha, second only to me. Why would I allow her to leave?" she demanded.

Gaara smirked and looked over at his lover. "Because she keeps me stable," he said, as if that explained everything.

She just knew that he was going to ask for this. The attraction between her student and the kazekage had been there for months before either had acted on the attraction. Now she was faced with a dilemma: let her student go to Suna and train the medics or watch Sakura pine after the man she had come to love while he was in Suna.

Sighing, she said, "Sakura, how do you feel about this? After all, you would be the one having to pick up your life and transfer it to Suna. Tell me what you want."

Sakura lowered her eyes to her hands, which were folded in her lap. After a minute, she lifted her head and gave her sensei a sheepish smile.

"I do miss his attitude when he isn't around, and he doesn't complain when I steal the covers," she said, allowing a bright pink blush to cross her cheeks.

Gaara smirked once more before looking at the hokage. The older woman sighed and then nodded. "Very well. Haruno Sakura, by order of the hokage, you are to be transferred to Suna, effective immediately."

Sakura smiled brightly, watching as he stood up and shook Tsunade's hand. When her student came forward, however, Tsunade wrapped the girl in a hug and whispered, "You will always have a home in Konoha. Do not forget."

Sakura smiled, allowing her eyes to move over to her brooding, moody, selfish red-headed lover. No, her home was where ever this impossible man was.

The old saying was true: home is where the heart is. And her heart was with Gaara.


	2. Kakashi

A/N: This is my newest installment of Sonnets. Please enjoy and I hope that I've done Kakashi justice. I simply can't help myself when it comes to him, Itachi, Naruto, or Gaara. Sometimes Sasuke, but only when I am feeling really naughty. Anyways, please read and review.

* * *

He was a smart man. He was a careful and cautious man. However, when it came to her, well…everyone was entitled to slip every now and then.

He didn't really know when it started. Perhaps it was when he realized after seeing her standing above him, her lips curled back in a smirk and hearing her say, "Kaka-sensei, I found you."

The young, Sasuke-crazy girl had become a young woman who was often regarded as a 'mini-Tsunade'. Of course, Sakura had her very own unique personality, but when provoked, not even her busty mentor could hold the pink-haired female away from her prey.

Shizune once told him that Sakura had surpassed the female hokage in strength and was well on her way to surpassing the older woman in healing, as well. In fact, Shizune told him that the council of elders were growing increasingly worried that should Sakura continue to rise in power, she could create even more headaches for them than Tsunade ever dreamed of creating.

Of course, it didn't help that Sakura was the next hokage's sister, but even though there was no blood between Sakura and Naruto, one would have to be blind not to see the closeness and the love the two obviously had for each other.

Even though he was deeply in love with the shy Hyuuga heiress, if Sakura called for him, he would take off and run to her side, everyone else be damned. He supposed that this need to take care of Sakura came from the fact that Naruto had been made into an orphan the day he arrived in the world, and the fact that Sasuke, whom both Naruto and Sakura proclaim as part of their family, defected out of misery and bitterness of his own family tragedy. Naruto wanted to make sure Sakura knew that she would always have someone to come home to.

But, as time squeaked on, he found himself admiring the young woman. He knew that he shouldn't be admiring her, but he was still a man and gods help him, Sakura had grown into quite a woman. It shamed him down to his bones when he found that his body no longer responded to other women, and the only time it did respond was when he had to take matters into his own hands, literally, and imagine that it was Sakura who was bringing him to relief.

Of course, being a part of the nosey group that he was, everyone quickly discovered his shameful, little secret and would often tease him about it mercilessly. Gemna would often elbow him in the ribs when he caught sight of the pink-haired female and make comments regarding her choice of attire, which would often result in the senbon user hobbling to the hospital to have his own sweetheart, Shizune, pull out the senbon that Kakashi had lodged somewhere very painful.

Gai would often puff out his chest and proclaim that his rival was 'still in the prime of his youth' and then would weep pitifully and whimper for his prized student, Lee's, heart break.

Thankfully, the females, except for Anko, were pretty calm about the matter. Kurenai told him that He should not worry about what others would say and go to the girl and tell her how he felt.

Anko told him that he should grow a set and then go show the set to Sakura before slamming her against the wall and proving that he could use the set. Of course, all of this was said as the snake woman's eyebrows wiggled up and down suggestively and thankfully, her attention would focus elsewhere and leave him alone.

But, when he was alone in his tiny apartment, he would think about his friend's words and he would wonder if perhaps he was over-thinking the situation. It wasn't as if he and Sakura didn't know each other and he was simply targeting a younger woman for a good time.

It was true that he didn't involve himself in relationships, but everyone else around him was either dating someone, married to someone, and he was all alone. He did have his books, but those didn't keep his feet very warm at night, nor did they have soft pink hair that he loved to ruffle.

There was no getting around it. He had to make a choice: either go to Sakura and present her with his feelings, or walk away from a relationship that would make him happy and keep him satisfied in order to preserve his lonely freedom.

* * *

Two weeks. That was how long it took for him to make a decision on the matter regarding Sakura. While he knew what he wanted, he had to make sure he was what she needed. Sakura, in his opinion, needed someone to watch over her and to calm her down when she become too aggressive. Naruto did a very good job, but he wasn't going to be able to be around Sakura as much after he takes over as hokage.

So, after some very lengthy soul-searching, he came to the decision. He would go to Sakura and he would talk to her. While he was not the romantic type, he did know that women liked to be shown that they are special. Well, Sakura was special to him and he was going to show her.

The day he, Naruto, Sakura, and Sai arrived on the training field, he quickly assigned Sai and Naruto together so that he could spar with Sakura. Once the two males were out of the way, he glanced over and lifted an eyebrow when he saw that she was making herself comfortable against his usual reading tree.

Taking in a deep breath, he moved closer to her and when he was before her, he calmly said, "Stand up, Sakura. You and I are going to spar."

The confusion in her face made his lips twitch in an effort not to smile, but when she stood up and brushed herself off, he led her over to another part of the field and stopped. He turned and got into a defensive position and watched as she did the same.

"Ok, for every hit that we land, we get to ask the other a question that we have been dying to know. Do you understand, Sakura?" He asked and did smile when she nodded quickly. Of course, he was not stupid enough to allow her to land a punch on him, especially not when he knew the extent of the damage those fists could do.

So, the match began and he grinned when he landed the first punch. Stopping and watching as a scowl crossed Sakura's face, he calmly asked, "Are you dating anyone?"

Sakura's scowl quickly disappeared and she shook her head. "No. Thanks to you, Naruto, and Sai, I am probably going to wind up dying a virgin." She muttered.

"Good." He replied, and ducked when she came at him with her arm cocked back. He quickly moved back and caught the fist that had been aimed at his face. Tsking underneath his breath, he gently tapped her shoulder with the arm not holding her fist and asked, "Are you still hoping to help Sasuke revive his clan?"

That caught her by total surprise. The anger quickly melted from her eyes and she shook her head quickly, her green eyes darting to the ground at her feet. He waited and when her answer came, it stunned him.

"At twelve, I didn't really know what reviving his clan consisted of." She said, her tone soft. "Now that I am older, I think that perhaps it would be best if some dreams die. Personally, I don't think that Sasuke is very interested in reviving his clan. I think his only agenda now is to gain as much power as he can and then once he has killed Itachi, I think that he will simply move on to something else that will give him even more power than before."

He stood there, unsure of what to say and then heard her sigh. "Don't tell Naruto what I'm about to tell you, ok?" She asked. When he nodded, she took a deep breath. "About eight months ago, I came across Uchiha Itachi when I was coming back from Suna. He could have killed me, but he was alone and he simply looked at me before telling me that Sasuke had succeeded in destroying Orochimaru, but that Sasuke had paid a heavy price. He said that a lot of Orochimaru's mania had transferred over to Sasuke and that the Sasuke I knew was gone. He advised me to let Sasuke go and to move on with my life."

Lifting an eyebrow, he calmly asked, "How does Itachi know this?"

"Apparently, the Akatsuki have been keeping track of Orochimaru for a very long time." She said, her eyes now trained on Naruto and Sai. "I guess Itachi was interested in keeping track of what his brother was up to and learned of Orochimaru's demise. Anyways, Itachi warned me that while he may look like Sasuke, the Sasuke I knew, or rather thought I knew, was gone. After doing a lot of thinking about what he said, I realized nearly three months ago that Itachi was right."

"How so?" He asked. He watched as a sheepish smile crossed her lips and she shook her head.

"Um, let's just call it woman's intuition and leave it at that, ok?" She asked and then yanked her fist out of his hand and smacked him smartly on his left shoulder.

"My turn." She called out gaily. "Why is it that you wear that mask? Don't you ever get tired of hiding?"

"That was two questions, Sakura." He pointed out. "I wear the mask because when I look in the mirror, I am reminded of my father and of how badly I have behaved. When he was accused of betraying our village, I didn't want people to look at me and confuse me with him and his deeds. Now, looking back at the entire situation, I suppose I wear the mask to hide my shame of turning my back on my father and not fighting for his reputation."

Sakura smiled and got back into a fighting position. Before she could launch her attack, he softly said, "And yes, I do get tired of hiding. There are times when I wonder what I am hiding from and I can never come up with an answer."

She lowered her clenched fists and was about to walk over to him, but suddenly found herself on her back with him straddling her hips. "Well now." He said, his visible eye creased. "You should never drop your guard against an enemy, especially when they tell you some kind of sob story that was designed to tug at your heart. It might end up costing your life."

It amused him when he heard the soft growl that came from her lips and when he stood, he helped her up and watched as Sai and Naruto walked towards them. Once he dismissed the younger shinobi, he quickly caught up with Sakura, who was stalking her way over to where her backpack was laying.

Quietly, he waited until she had secured all of her gear and then said, "It's my turn to ask you a question."

It was clear to him by the angry glint in her eyes that she was far from amused. He realized that he might have made an error when he attempted to cover up his moment of weakness, but now, he had a way to make up for it.

"Do you think that you would ever see me in a light that is more intimate than a friend?" He asked and watched as the angry glint faded from her eyes. "I suppose my real question is would you ever consider me as someone you would enjoy spending time with outside of work and missions?"

Sakura's eyes widened in understanding, but before she could answer him, Genma appeared a few feet away from them and for once, he didn't wear his usual smirk.

The senbon user looked quite serious and he said, "The hokage has ordered you, me, Anko, and Gai to the southern border of Konoha. It looks as though Cloud has decided to send some of their shinobi to test the waters of our security."

He nodded and glanced over at Sakura, whom was currently busy nibbling on her bottom lip. He reached over and ran his thumb over the abused appendage, quickly halting Sakura's nervous habit. "We'll talk when I get back, ok?"

She slowly nodded and glared over at Genma when the other shinobi began making kissing noises at them. When she disappeared from his sight, he turned to the other man and asked, "How bad is it?"

Genma quickly lost the playful gleam in his eye and watched as Anko and Gai made their way towards them. He took in a deep breath. "I was told that when I found you, I was to tell you it was Cloud. Kakashi, it's Sound and Uchiha Sasuke is leading them. The hokage didn't want Sakura involved in this matter. She has received some information from a very reliable source that Sasuke's mania is far worse than we suspected. He's come here to take Sakura to Sound with him." He murmured.

He turned and looked off into the distance. It was well past time that he righted a wrong that he did so long ago. If only he had concentrated on Sakura when he was training their team. If only he had chosen Naruto to learn the Chidori. Now, the woman he loved was in danger and he was the only one at fault.

* * *

The fight had been brutal. In the end, Sound was defeated, but when he and Sasuke stood toe-to-toe, the real fight was just about to begin. Both of them had activated their sharingan, and though he only had one, both men knew that Kakashi's sharingan was the more experienced.

He supposed he could understand Sasuke's pain. Sasuke had watched the dreams of his youth fade when he discovered his brother covered in their family's blood and could do nothing to avenge their deaths. In his own way, Sasuke had been attempting to quite their screams in his head, but had gone about it the wrong way.

So, it was with that thought in his head that he approached the slowly dying boy. In his eyes, Sasuke would always be that kid with the scowling features who never allowed anyone close. His team watched silently as sensei knelt before student and listened as he asked, "Why were you coming for Sakura? Why couldn't you just leave her alone?"

Sasuke coughed and then spit out the blood that that gathered in his mouth. Finally, Sasuke turned dark eyes to his former sensei and calmly said, "In the darkness, she was always the light. She was the balance between me and the dobe. She calmed the rage when it threatened to consume me in the forest of death. I needed that light again."

He watched as the light in Sasuke's eyes faded and his features relaxed. Running his hand down Sasuke's face, he closed the eyelids and knew that he would have to tell both Naruto and Sakura that he had been the one to kill their dream of bringing Sasuke home. Despite Sakura's earlier words, he knew that she still wanted him back in Konoha.

So, when he stood up, he brought Sasuke's limp body up to rest over his shoulder and motioned for the other three of his team to move. It was time to return to Konoha. It was time to go home and face whatever consequences that awaited for him.

* * *

Life, it seemed, was as normal as it had been before the fight with Sasuke and Sound. While the details of the small battle were to remain secret, he had been allowed to inform both Naruto and Sakura of Sasuke's death.

To say that they had not taken it well would have been a gross understatement.

But, after about a week, he resumed his missions, went out with his friends, and didn't look for enticing pink-haired women who could make him crazy with desire. No, it was best to leave her alone. He supposed that he received his answer, after all.

But, he was in for a surprise. Genma had bought a round of drinks when Naruto and a few of the other younger shinobi came through the door. They spotted the older group and quickly grabbed chairs and joined in with the conversations.

It didn't escape his notice that Sakura wasn't there. Naruto must have noticed his unease because he shrugged and said, "She worked a double at the hospital. Apparently, every single pregnant mother who was expecting this month decided that today was a good day to deliver. Sakura is up to her ears in newborns."

Genma laughed and pulled Shizune against him. "Why don't you go and walk her home." He suggested with a wink. "We all know how she gets when she exhausts herself."

Instead of taking Genma's bait, he simply stood up and waved at the group. "I'm going to turn in early." He said, his shoulders drooping just a bit. "I'll see you guys later."

After a chorus of 'goodnight', he left the bar and was stopped when Naruto came running out after him. When the younger man caught up with him, Naruto took in a deep breath and said, "Don't think that Sakura and I don't know what you are doing."

"I don't know what you are talking about, Naruto." He replied, wearily. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that his friends had come outside and were waiting to see if Naruto was going to attack him for killing off his best friend.

"The hell you don't." Naruto returned angrily. "You think that we hate you for killing Sasuke, don't you? You think that we blame you for what happened. Well, we don't. Do you honestly believe us both to be so naive that we couldn't see Sasuke for what he had become? He was part of us. Of course Sakura and I knew what the outcome would be. There was a reason why the three of us were placed onto the same team. There was a reason why the third hokage chose us to be together. We reminded him of ero-sennin, Tsunade-baa-chan, and that bastard, Orochimaru. The third hokage knew that we would rise to great heights, but that we were different from the sannins."

Taking a deep breath, Naruto looked up at the night sky. "I'll admit, I was angry when I heard that Sasuke was dead. Not at you, of course, but at the entire situation. Sasuke was the brother I never had and I wanted to be a better brother than the one who had left him in that dark place. Both Sakura and I hoped that we would be enough, but we were not. In the end, you brought Sasuke back to us, and Sakura and I will forever be grateful to you. However, I am very pissed off with you. While Sakura isn't angry, she is deeply hurt and confused and I want to know what the hell kind of game you are playing with my sister and it had better be a good explanation." He growled and stepped closer.

He took a step back and asked, "She's hurt?"

"Yeah, she's hurt that you stood there and asked her if you could be anything more to her and promised that you would talk to her after you returned, but all you've done is avoid her." Naruto snapped and glared over his shoulder when Genma cheekily called out, "He's got you there, buddy. You did promise that you would find her when you got back. If my count is correct, you're about a week late. That's a new record even for you."

Naruto must have read the question in his visible eye because Naruto folded his arms across his broad chest and quietly said, "She's mine. She is my sister, my family, my light. Of course she would tell me what you said. Let me tell you, I don't ever want to see her cry like she did last night, are we clear? Sensei and friend or not, if you ever hurt her like that again, I'll hurt you and that is a promise. Fix things, Kakashi-sensei."

He watched as Naruto turned on his heel and wrapped his arm around Hinata's shoulders before leading her and his friends back into the bar. His own friends stood there and Kureni called out to him to see if he was ok, but he wasn't.

He was absolutely, freaking happy. Instead of answering the red-eyed woman, he took off and began running as fast as he could to the hospital. However, he was quite dismayed to find that Sakura had already left.

He went to her apartment. She was not there. So, thus began the chase that lasted until the very early hours of the morning. Hell, he got so frustrated that he even summoned his pack of dogs, all of whom, through Pakkun, told him that it was his mess and he could clean it up himself.

Well, the next time they made the mess, he would remind them of this night and give them the exact same advice.

So, with a heavy heart, he returned to his apartment and tried to think of where Sakura could have gone. She sure the hell didn't go to her friend, Ino's, because the blond was busy with some shinobi that he could have almost sworn was her teammate, Chouji.

He opened the door to his apartment and froze. There was a gentle scent in the air and he would know that particular scent anywhere.

Closing the door and locking it behind him, he took off his sandals and made his way through his apartment and to the bedroom. There, lying beneath his blanket and sheet was Sakura, and from the looks of things, she was worn out.

He glanced over at the chair that sat in the corner of the room and noticed that all of her clothing was neatly folded and his eye widened. If her clothing was on the chair, then what in the hell was she wearing in his bed?

Taking a deep breath, he ventured over to the side of the bed and reached out to touch her shoulder. When she rolled over, the blanket fell away and his question was answered.

He now had to make another important decision: Hop in the bed with her, or take a shower and hop in the bed with her.

Deciding to take a shower and calm down a bit won out. Besides, he probably smelled like cigarette smoke and wanted to make sure that once he was in bed, there was no chance of him getting out of it any time soon.

The hot water did much for his nerves. He had faced many dangerous opponents, but none of them frightened him like Sakura did. He was about to bid farewell to the way of life that he was comfortable and accustomed to. But, the life that was promised within Sakura's embrace was far more seductive and damn it, he was only human.

When he finally dried off and was back beside the bed, he took in a deep breath and then reached out to grasp the blanket and sheet that covered Sakura. He slid in beside the young woman and then proceeded to mold himself as close as he could to her back, his arms wrapping around her and holding her tightly.

He felt her stir and lifted his head in time to watch as her eyes slowly opened. He could see that she needed more sleep. The dark circles beneath her eyes were testament to just how hard she had been working and he felt like such a bastard for even waking her up at all.

"When did you come in?" She whispered, her voice soft and heavy with sleep.

Shaking his head, he quietly replied, "Shhh…it's still very early and we will talk when we wake up. Go back to sleep."

When she tried to speak again, he used his head to nudge hers back down to the pillow and he tightened his arms around her petite form. Within minutes, Sakura's even breaths could be heard and he allowed a small sigh of relief to escape him.

When they finally did sit down at talk, he was going to make sure that she never held any doubts as to what he felt for her.

He felt her stir in his arms and knew that from the light sheen of sweat on their bodies that it had to be around mid-day. Opening his eyes, he allowed her to roll onto her back and he propped himself up on his elbow to look down at her.

Her bright green eyes opened and he frowned. It was obvious to him that she was not completely rested and he watched as those tired eyes examined his exposed face. Never before had he allowed her or Naruto to see underneath his mask, but if he and Sakura were going to be together, his secrets could not remain hidden.

"I went looking for you." He said, his voice soft as he brushed her unruly hair from her eyes. "I should have known to come here first. After all, home is where my heart is, right?"

Sakura's eyes widened and she took a deep breath. "I missed you." She whispered and closed her eyes when his large hand gently cupped her cheek.

"I know." He murmured and leaned down to kiss her forehead. "I just didn't think that you wanted to see me after learning that I had been the one to kill Sasuke."

Her mouth turned down in a frown and she said, "You didn't kill Sasuke. He was dead when he left the village and went with Orochimaru. That person whom you fought was not the same boy that was on our team."

Taking a deep breath, Kakashi shook his head. "You are wrong." He softly replied. "In the end, his final thoughts were of you. He came here for you. He wanted you to return with him to Sound because he needed you. In his darkest hours, you were his light and he wanted that light beside him. At the final end, it was Sasuke who came for you."

He had closed his eyes when he spoke and when he opened them, he found tears streaming down Sakura's face. Pulling her closer, he murmured, "I couldn't let you go. You are not just Sasuke's light, but you are mine, as well. When he died, I understood his motives and even sympathized with him."

She took in a shaky breath. "You are not responsible for his death, Kakashi." She said firmly. Sniffling a bit, she said, "When Sasuke left, I cried to Naruto and begged him to bring Sasuke back. My reasons were selfish. I've learned many lessons since then, but the greatest lesson that I've learned is that I should not take for granted what I have because I could lose them very quickly. When you asked me if there could be anything more between us, I will admit that I was stunned. But, after thinking it over, I was honored and happy that you chose me. When you didn't come to see me like you promised, it broke my heart."

He tightened his arms around her and was about to speak when her soft words made him pause. "I wondered if you decided that I wasn't good enough for you or if you had made a mistake by approaching me. I guess that was the worst part of all of this." She whispered.

"I want you to understand something." He growled, his anger surprising not only her, but him, as well. "It wasn't a mistake when I approached you. You are more than good enough for me. Don't ever let me hear those words come from your mouth again. If one of us isn't good enough, it would be me."

He took in a deep breath to calm his nerves. This was it. This was the moment his life changed and he found that it wasn't as frightening as he thought it would be. "I don't want to be without you. I don't want to walk away from today without knowing that you are mine. I get jealous when another man hits on you. I get angry when I see other men looking at you and I can't help but think that they are imagining what you look like without your clothing. I want to be the only man who knows that answer. I want to be the constant man in your life, if you will have me."

There. It was out and now, she would have to decide if he was worthy of her. For several seconds, he waited and when her arms snaked around his waist and she molded herself closer to his body, he allowed the breath that he had been holding out.

He moved onto his back and when her head settled in the hollow between his neck and shoulder, he allowed a smile to cross his lips. But, when her head lifted, he saw that her eyes were narrowed and he gulped. He hadn't even said anything and it looked like he was already in trouble with her.

"While I am happy to hear that you want me, I want to ask you a question." She said, her tone as sweet as sugar. When he nodded, her smile faded and she asked, "Are you the reason why Kiba and Akamaru pales and whimpers every time I go near them?"

His eyes widened. Damn, he had forgotten all about that. It was true that he was the cause of Kiba's alarm around Sakura. He had stumbled across them kissing and when Sakura had gone home and Kiba was making his way back to his clan's compound, he had appeared before Kiba and explained why it was not a good idea to kiss Sakura. By the time he left, even Akamaru was whimpering and had his tail tucked between his legs. Kiba had not dared to approach Sakura after that incident.

Nodding, Sakura rolled her eyes and sighed. "We are going to have a long discussion about your jealousy." She muttered and then snuggled happily back into his embrace. "Later."

Smiling, he tightened his embrace and quietly whispered, "Yes, later." He allowed himself to relax and happily listened as her breathing evened out.

Of course, when later did come, he would just have to make sure that she was occupied and wouldn't have time to think about anything other than him.

Closing his eyes, he allowed himself to drift. He was home, in love, and at peace.

* * *

Naruto grinned and shook his head as he watched his sister and the man whom he knew would take care of her for the rest of her life settle back down onto the bed. Finally, his precious Sakura would be cared for the way he wanted her to be.

Jumping from his hiding place and onto the ground, Naruto walked until he came to stop at the memorial stone. Reaching out, he allowed his fingers to graze Sasuke's name and he quietly said, "She's happy, Sasuke. She's happy and safe. I hope that you know this and are at peace now."

A gentle breeze drifted past Naruto and he smiled. Somehow, he knew that his brother was aware and content. In the end, Sasuke had loved Sakura. It was that love that drove him to come after her. It was that same love that made Kakashi fight to protect her.

And, it would be that love that kept Kakashi from leaving her side. Sakura would have the love she had always dreamed of and he would step back as her protector and watch as another man took his place. Finally, his precious people were as they should be: Happy and loved.


End file.
